TECH WEEK

From Wikipedia:

Technical week (also called tech week, production week or hell week) refers to the week prior to the opening night of a play or musical in which all of the technical elements (such as costumes, lights, sound, and makeup) are added.

At this point in the rehearsal process, it is expected that the creative aspects of the production are ready. Actors have their lines memorized; lights, sound, scenery, and costumes have been designed and completely constructed. If the production is a musical, then the orchestra has rehearsed the music completely, and any dancers are prepared with their choreography memorized.

And

Rehearsals during technical week can go very long, hence the nickname "hell week."

More here.

Yeah, so that's what I'm up to this weekend. And even though the vast majority of acting work during tech week is sitting around and waiting, I've been at it for hours and hours today and I'm pretty tired. So, not much chatty-chat from me tonight: we hit the ground running again tomorrow at noon, and won't be finished until midnight.

But before I go, here's a bit about the show from an online science journal called Research published by LSU:

Writing a science-based play is aim of interdisciplinary research team

The basis for Cocktail may sound like creative fiction at first, but the subject matter is based on the actual work of Thai pharmaceutical scientist Krisana Kraisintu.

"We are not talking about science in science fiction. We are talking about fiction concerned with, or portrayed within, the context of real science," says LiCata, an expert on protein-DNA interactions.

Kraisintu is largely responsible for the production of a generic version of zidovudine, commonly known as AZT, originally without the approval of the Thai government. Her work greatly reduced the cost of the drug, which is often used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. She continued her work to better the treatment of HIV/AIDS despite years of dispute with Bristol-Myers Squibb, and eventually created a "cocktail" that combines three different treatment drugs into one pill that needs to be taken twice per day. This is a drastic change from the usual pill intake of between six and twenty-two pills per day that many HIV patients take.

More here.

Here's some more about technical rehearsals.

Here's a bit about our distinguished director, Ping Chong.

Actually, this play is shaping up to be pretty darned fantastic. I'll let you know more when the reviews are in.

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